On Wednesday 6 December, the Swedish Radio Symphony celebrates the Finnish nation’s 100th birthday with a programme of Saariaho, Madetoja and Sibelius. Karita Mattila joins them to perform songs by Madetoja and Sibelius at Berwaldhallen, Stockholm.

J-P says:
“It’s great to be in Stockholm on this day as Sweden has often been a first step for Finnish artists to be more international. This country has always supported young Finnish talent and given them opportunities. My own first international concert engagements were in Sweden, with the Stockholm Philharmonic.

The secret of survival for a small nation is always being able to adapt to new circumstances. This has been one of Finland’s strengths in the past, and I hope that it will continue to remain open in the future and build further on strengthening its ties with the outside world.”